An Old Enemy
by emilyjacobson25
Summary: While Oliver is out hunting for a new masked murderer in town, he comes across Felicity's apartment. Taking a break for the night to spend time with her causes problems to spiral out of control until the Arrow comes face to face with an old enemy. Will Felicity survive? Will Oliver be able to get rid of the enemy once and for all?
1. Part 1

"Where's Felicity tonight?" Oliver asked as he grabbed his bow from the steel table.

"She's sick," Digg replied as he typed on Felicity's computer.

Oliver sighed. It would be harder for them to work tonight without her.

"Okay. What's happening tonight?" He turned and looked over Digg's shoulder.

"The masked murderer from two nights ago who escaped you, he was spotted just a minute ago by Starling City police." He paused as he typed a few more commands on the keyboard. "It looks like he's headed to the Northern part of the city. Just outside the Glades."

Oliver nodded. "He won't get far. Keep me updated on any more police reports."

"I will," Diggle said, but the Arrow was already gone.

Oliver ran across the rooftops of buildings around the outskirts of the Glades. This part of Starling was less dangerous than the Glades. As he jumped a short gap between an apartment building and a drugstore, he thought: Why has this masked murder, who has killed three people in the past week, continued to evade me? What is his motive?

Diggle's voice came in his earpiece. "Cross the street to the right of you. He just changed directions towards an apartment section."

And where is he going?

Oliver made his way over to the apartments. He stayed in the shadows of the alleys. "Digg, do you have a better location?"

"A report just came from the street across from you. An officer saw a dark figure in an alley. He said he's going to investigate it."

Oliver knew this masked murderer was dangerous. He had to find him before he hurt anybody else. He sprinted across the street with no cars in sight. The apartment building in front of him had windows with lights on. It looked pretty nice for a place just outside the Glades.

He climbed the side of the building on the fire escape. Once he reached the roof, he paused to look around. The door leading inside the building was ripped apart. No human could have done that. This masked murderer was powered my the Mirakuru.

He proceeded with caution as he went down the stairs leading to the top floor of the apartment complex. There were dirty footprints in the hallway. Oliver followed them. They disappeared soon though. In front of the last door in that hallway. There was a window next to it.

The murderer could have gone through the window or into the apartment. Oliver decided that, since the window looked to be untouched, he would try the apartment.

As quietly as he could, he ripped off the doorhandle and pushed it open. There were no lights on in the hall as he stepped inside. He made his way down when he heard voices. Immediately, he pulled out his bow and loaded an arrow.

When he turned the corner, he saw a living room with the T.V. on. It was the only thing giving light to the room. He heard a creak in the floorboards behind him and he swung himself around to face the culprit.

But it wasn't the masked murderer they had been looking for.

Felicity dropped her bowl of soup she had been carrying and put her hands up. "There's nothing valuable here, I swear." Then she squinted, for she didn't have her glasses on. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oliver, what are you doing here!"

She slammed her hand on the light switch as he lowered his weapon. "Felicity?" His voice reflected his confusion.

"Yes, Felicity," she snapped. "Why are you at my apartment?"

"You're...You're apartment?" he stammered.

"Yes!" she snapped again then sneezed.

Oliver took off his hood and mask. "I was following a lead. Digg said the masked murderer we were searching for was seen here. The door on the roof was ripped open. I thought this was his apartment."

Felicity stepped forward. "So you thought my apartment was the home of the masked murderer?"

"Well I've never been here before, Felicity," Oliver half snapped then calmed his voice. He rubbed the tips of his fingernails against each other. "I guess this was bound to happen since you weren't helping tonight."

"I'm really sorry I couldn't be there. Digg told me I needed to go home, but I tried to stay but he wouldn't let me so I-"

"Felicity," Oliver whispered, stopping her mid-sentence. "It's fine. You're clearly sick, you need to rest."

"Right," she said.

She was wearing a gray dress with black running down the sides. It was one of her work outfits. Oliver frowned. "Why are you wearing that when you're sick?"

Felicity looked down at her outfit. "Oh, well I was actually just about to go to the club to help you guys out. I'm feeling a lot better actually," she tried to convince him. Then she let out another sneeze.

Oliver smiled but shook his head. "You aren't going anywhere." Looking at the floor where the bowl was in pieces and hot soup was splattered about, he asked, "Sorry about the soup."

"It's fine."

"Well, you get back the couch, and I will cook you more. And clean this up."

Felicity nodded and walked past him into the living room where there were blankets piled on it. She stopped and looked back at Oliver, pounding her hands together slowly. "Oliver, you really don't have to."

"I want to," he said with finality then gave her a small smile. The smile that he only gave to Felicity.

She smiled back at him then returned to the couch and her television show. Oliver took off his green suit jacket, leaving the tight, long sleeved, black shirt on underneath. He bent down and cleaned up the mess he had caused then carried it to the kitchen, which was right across from the living room.

"Oliver?" Diggle's voice sounded in his ear.

Oliver had forgotten about the earpiece. "Digg. Everything is fine. I'm at Felicitiy's apartment. I think we are done for tonight."

"Felicity's apartment?" Diggle didn't sound as confused as Oliver thought he would have been. "Okay, just be careful. Goodnight."

Oliver turned off the earpiece and went to work in the kitchen. It was small, so the soup was easy to locate and so was a small tray to put it on. Once he was finished, he brought it out to Felicity.

She looked up at him instead of her show and watched him sit next to her legs on the couch. He set the tray down on the small coffee table in front of them. She now wore her glasses since she had been watching T.V.

"What about the masked murderer?" Felicity asked with worry. "Don't you have to find him?"

"He can wait. You should be taken care of right now," Oliver said softly. He handed her the bowl of soup. "Plus, I don't think we could get anywhere without you."

She smiled. "That's always nice to hear." They both chuckled.

Oliver sighed. "So, this is your apartment?"

Felicity took a spoonful of her soup. "Yes, it is. I was going to move last year farther from the Glades but this is closer to your club and I thought it would be good for me to be close to you so I'm more available whenever you need me." She paused for a moment then crinkled her forehead. "I mean... Not available like that."

Oliver put his hand on Felicity's arm. "Felicity," he locked eyes with her. "Don't ever adjust your life to fit mine, okay?"

She nodded and smiled then took another spoonful of her soup. He sat back and directed his eyes away from Felicity to the T.V.

"What are we watching tonight?"

"Re-runs of Saturday Night Live. From the 80's. The good part of the 80's," she explained.

Oliver smiled at Felicity as she laughed at a skit on the television. He noted the way her mouth curled up when she smiled. And the sound of her laugh. It was a lovely song that filled his ears. It calmed him.

Then his tranquility dissappeared. He shot off of the couch as he heard a noise from a window.

Felicity sat up, just as alarmed as Oliver was. "What is it?"

"I heard something." He swiftly grabbed his bow and quiver and took his place next to Felicity, who was now on her feet.

"Oliver?" she asked urgently.

Another noise came from the same window, the window letting in city night lights into the living room. "Get behind me," he shouted.

Felicity's breath was fast behind Oliver; he felt it on his neck. It sent a shiver down his back. He tried to focus on the problem at hand.

Just then a man burst through the window, sending glass flying through the room. He rolled onto his feet and stood up straight. Oliver had his bow drawn, prepared for a fight.

The man was tall and muscular. His long, black trench coat was all too familiar. He took off his black mask. But it wasn't an unknown murderer. It was Count Vertigo.


	2. Part 2

In his snakelike voice, he said, "Hello Oliver."

"_Vertigo," _Oliver growled.

"Yes, it's me!" His tone was inappropriately cheerful. "Surprise!"

"Felicity, stay behind me," Oliver whispered firmly. To Vertigo, he asked "How are you alive?" His voice was much more demanding than it had been with Felicity.

The Count chuckled. "My friend, Sebastian Blood, found my body after _you _shot me with three arrows. He took me and injected me with his little Mirakuru serum. I was his first subject." The Count hopped forward. "So, ta-da! Here I am!"

Oliver's grip on his bow tightened. "Don't make me send another arrow through you."

Vertigo laughed again. "You can try!" His maniacal voice filled the small apartment. "But I heal faster now!" Before Oliver could do anything, Vertigo pulled out a gun and pointed it at him. "Now hand over your pretty little girlfriend so I can be on my way."

Oliver's jaw clenched. "You aren't going to touch her."

"Then I guess we will have to do this the hard way," Vertigo said. He raised his gun.

There was no time to shoot an arrow. Instinctively, Oliver pushed Felicity to the side as he turned to dodge the bullets. He succeeded in protecting Felicity but failed in protecting himself.

He felt a piercing pain in his left leg. He knew he had gotten hit. Rolling over, he attempted to stand. The pain was so intense that it caused black dots in his vision.

Oliver heard Felicity scream as he collapsed back to the ground and began to pass out. Just before everything went black, he saw Felicity being dragged, unconscious, by the Count.

When he regained conciousness, Oliver realized he was back in the basement of the club. He was laying on a steel table. Raising his head, he looked for Felicty and Diggle. Then he jumped off the table but then strong hands pushed him back down. It was Digg.

"Oliver, you need to relax. Your leg isn't healed yet. We are running out of the plant from the island. It will take longer this time."

"Where's Felicity?" Oliver asked urgently, hardly listening to the information Digg had just told him.

Diggle sighed. He knew that was what Oliver was really focused on. "When I tracked you to Felicity's apartment, she was gone and so was the masked murderer. I took you back here and patched you up. It's been two hours."

Oliver stood back up and headed towards the table with his bow. "I'm going back out there."

"You aren't healed yet," Digg tried to reason, though it was no use.

"Felicity is in danger! He took her for revenge for what I did to him!"

Digg frowned. "Who are we talking about here?"

Oliver explianed, "The masked murderer is really Count Vertigo. When I thought I had killed him, Sebastian Blood actually saved him with the Mirakuru. Now he's back and we really _were_ tracking him. But he was tracking Felicity. To take her. To get to me."

Diggle took a minute to register that the Count was alive. And that Felicity had been taken, once again, by the madman.

"Now you understand why I need to get her. Now." Oliver put on the other half of his suit and grabbed his bow.

Diggle grabbed his arm. "Oliver, be careful. And stay in contact with me." Oliver nodded then disappeared.

"Where would the Count go to stay hidden and safe?" Oliver asked his earpiece as he ran across another rooftop.

"I'm checking possible places now. It's hard to navigate the computer without Felicity."

Oliver stopped running. He knelt down for a moment, breathing heavily. Felicity. He had put Felicity in danger. Because he had let his guard down for just a minute. It was his fault.

"Go to the old packaging warehouse at the docks in the Glades," Diggle reported, drawing Oliver back to the situation.

He arose and sprinted further, ignoring the searing pain in his leg. It still wasn't healed. The night air was cold and his suit didn't retain heat well. But he kept going. He kept going for Felicity.

At the warehouse, Oliver climbed to the roof. There, he found his way in through a hole. There were beams running across the ceiling. An excellent vantage point. He climbed to the middle and looked down.

There, Felicity was tied to a steel chair. Count Vertigo was circling her, like a vulture mocking it's prey. Oliver rippled with disgust and anger. He drew his bow and aimed it at the Count. But he kept moving and he didn't have a good enough shot on him. He would have to make it count, since Vertigo now was infused with the Mirakuru.

"Oliver, did you find her?" Digg asked.

"Yes."

Oliver took out his earpiece and crushed it in his hands. He wouldn't let anyone else get hurt.

The Count spoke, tearing Oliver's attention towards them. "_Felicity." _He said, emphasizing each syllable. He ran his fingers through her hair. "The beautiful secretary for Mr. Queen by day, and the backbone of the Arrow by night." He slammed both hands on the arms of the chair. "What an interesting job!" he screamed at her.

Felicity cringed and leaned away as far as the chair and restraints would allow. Oliver saw her eyes glistening in the dim lit building, but saw no tears fall. She was so strong.

The Count coninued, "I wonder what you two do after the city is safe and sound for the night?" He backed away and smiled at her. "Do you two spend time together after hours?" Laughter rang through the rafters where Oliver stood. "Wouldn't it be a shame to cut that romance short?"

Felicty glared at him. Her voice shook as she said, "Oliver will beat you. He always does."

Vertigo raised his eyebrows and knelt down in front of her. "Ahh yes, Oliver will save the day!" His eyes were wide. "But I have the Mirakuru running through my veins. I will kill him this time, and he won't be able to save you."

"I never said he had to save me," Felicity stated. "I just know that you are going to get what you deserve."

Vertigo stopped and turned around to look out the window with his hands behind his back. "You are a foolish girl."

Oliver had a perfect shot. He let the arrow fly and it hit Vertigo right in his back. Oliver jumped down from up above and landed behind Felicity. Vertigo was on the ground, attempting to get the arrow out of him. Oliver untied Felicity's hands and she stood up.

She turned around and through her arms around Oliver. He held her tightly and whispered, "Get out of here. Run. Go back to the club. Stay there until I get back."

"What if you need help?"

"Digg is on his way."

Felicity released him and began walking away. She turned back to look at him. He nodded at her to go. So she did.

Oliver swallowed hard and turned back to Vertigo who was now on his feet. Digg wasn't on his way. He couldn't put him in danger. He had already put Felicity in harm's way. The Count was too powerful. If Digg or Felicity intervened, they could get hurt.

"What a sweet goodbye," Vertigo snickered.

"This is between you and me, Count. Not Felicity." Oliver didn't let him get a chance to say another word; he shot another arrow at him, hitting him in the shoulder.

Vertigo screamed in agony, but immediately ripped the arrow from his body and cracked it in half. Oliver rushed forward and threw a punch, but Vertigo ducked and hit him instead. Oliver flew back, landing on the ground. Vertigo sped towards him, and Oliver hit him with his bow. It gave him time to get to his feet.

But Vertigo was faster and stronger. He tore the bow from his hands and threw it to the side. He picked Oliver up by his neck and squeezed it. "Who is going to save Felicity now?" he growled, blood running from his nose.

Oliver struggled to get free. Vertigo tossed him to the side and put his foot on his neck. Oliver was helpless beneath his strength. He was having trouble breathing. But he used all of his strength to throw Vertigo back so that he could rise again.

But he was weakening fast. And his wounded leg was bleeding again. The Count came at him again and punched Oliver. He did it again. And again. They were coming too fast for Oliver to counter. And with too much force. But he kept his feet planted on the ground as his face and body took blows.

Finally, Vertigo grabbed Oliver and pulled him close to his face. "You are no hero, Oliver Queen. You have failed your city."


	3. Part 3

Oliver's face was covered in blood, and his left eye was swollen almost shut. But he could still see Count Vertigo leering at him while he held him in the air. Oliver knew he wasn't going to last. He just hoped Felicity would make it to Digg in time. So they could protect each other.

"Any last words, _hero?_"

Oliver glared directly in his eyes. It was like staring in the face of evil. He then closed his eyes and filled his mind with happy images. So that he wasn't afraid. But the truth is: Oliver was afraid. It was like being on the island all over again. He was alone. He thought he was never going to see his loved ones again. And he was about to die.

Oliver Queen was about to die.

Then he heard a voice. He already thought he was dead. But no, it couldn't be that painless. The Count would have made it excruciating.

"Let him go, or I'll shoot!"

Oliver felt the Count release him and he plummeted to the ground. He couldn't open his eyes. And his hearing was muffled. His body was numb. But he still heard the voice. A deep, sick feeling filled him.

"Get away from him!" Felicity yelled. Footsteps. The Count had stepped aside. "Put your hands up!"

Oliver rolled over and lifted his heavy eyelids. Through his blurry vision, he saw Felicity standing with a gun in her shaking hands. She was pointing it at Count Vertigo who was a few feet away from Oliver.

She couldn't be here. It was not safe.

"Keep them where I can see!" She shouted in a nervous voice.

Out of the corner of his eye, Oliver saw a gun sticking out of the back of Vertigo's pants. Felicity wasn't going to shoot him. She wasn't capable of murder. But Oliver was.

He blinked a few times and tested moving his arms. Every movement was burdened and his limbs felt like they were made of lead. Still, he began to rise.

Meanwhile, Vertigo said, "Now, Felicity, I don't think you are going to shoot me." He put his hands down and walked to the side.

Oliver knew he didn't have much time. He couldn't find his voice. The Count slowly moved his arm down to his side. Felicity still stood holding the gun. Vertigo began pulling out his gun.

Oliver jumped as fast as he could and tackled the Count just as he put the finger on the trigger. He heard Felicity scream as a shot was fired. Then everything went black.

He opened his eyes and he saw white. The lights above him clouded his vision. His eyes adjusted. He was back in the foundry beneath the club. He was home.

"You're awake," said a deep voice.

Oliver, dazed, rolled his head to the side. Diggle walked forward with his arms folded. He held a worried expression.

"You lost a lot of blood. But you're going to be okay," he explained.

A memory flashed before Oliver's eyes. Felicity's scream. Vertigo. He remembered it all.

"Diggle?" He asked urgently, still too sedated to sit up. "Where's Felicity?"

Diggle came forward and stuck a needle in his arm. "Just relax. Everything is fine."

"Tell me where she is!" He shouted but it faltered in his hoarse voice. "Is she okay..."

Oliver awoke later, now more alert. Sharp. He opened his eyes once more and examined the room. Diggle was asleep in a chair next to the table that Oliver layed on. He slowly sat up. No one else was in the room.

He tried to stand from the table but his legs were too weak. He collapsed over a desk and sent things crashing. Diggle lept out of his chair in surprise.

"Oliver," he sighed. He bent down and helped him up.

Once he could stand without help, Oliver looked into Digg's eyes. "Is Felicity okay? Tell me she's okay." His eyebrows were curled into a frown, desperately hoping for Digg to deliver him good news.

"Oliver," a voice behind him said.

He turned and saw Felicity standing there. Without hesitation, he ran up to her and enclosed her in his arms. He had to feel that she was okay. Had to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him.

"Felicity," he breathed in relief.

She had her arms pressed around him. "I'm here," she whispered.

Accepting now that she was safe and uninjured, he released her slowly, but kept his hand on her arm. "I'm sorry."

She closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "It isn't your fault, Oliver."

Diggle cleared his throat behind them. They both turned their attention towards him. "I need to run a few more tests on Oliver, to make sure everything is normal. Felicity, go home. You're still sick."

Felicity nodded and backed away, lightly touching Oliver's shoulder as she passed him. Oliver walked over to Diggle where he had an instruemnt ready to take his blood pressure.

"She watched over you all night, you know," Diggle announced as he tested Oliver.

Oliver smiled to himself. "So what happened to Vertigo?"

"When you tackled him, his gun went off and it shot you. Obviously you're fine," Diggle muttered. "After that, Felicity pulled you off him and tried to stop the bleeding. I arrived just after that and I had already called Lance. The police took care of him."

"How did you know to come?"

Digg stopped what he was doing and looked at Oliver. "You stopped responding after you took out your earpiece. I knew there was going to be trouble so I left to get there and I called Lance just in case."

Oliver was silent.

"You should have asked for help, Oliver."

Oliver stood up. "I didn't want anyone else to get hurt."

Diggle sighed and put his medical supplies away. "You can't do everything yourself."

Oliver clenched his jaw and went over to his bow. He stroked it, thinking.

"You should head home, get some sleep. You were out for a day. I told your family you had to leave urgently for business."

"Thank you, Diggle." Oliver left to go back to his house.

Later that night, while Oliver slept, he dreamt of Count Vertigo. He was still alive. He was still a threat. But at least he was in the hands of the police.

Oliver awoke in a cold sweat. it was two in the morning. He rolled out of his bed and took a hot shower.

He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. And he couldn't protect the city in the state he was in.

Oliver decided to go for a drive. He took his motorcycle out and wandered around the city of Starling.

He wasn't surprised when he found himself at Felicity's apartment. Knocking on her door, he rubbed his fingertips together.

Felicity opened the door, a look of surprise on her face. "Oliver," she said.

Oliver immediately felt nervous. What was his excuse for coming there in the middle of the night? "Can I come in?" he asked.

She held the door open wider for him to step inside. He stood in her living room, still rubbing his fingers together.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up," he said.

Felicity wore a confused look on her face. "I wasn't sleeping much, it's fine."

Oliver frowned. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

She folded her arms and stepped forward. "I can't get you out of my head." She paused and realized what she had just said. "I mean... Not like that." Oliver smiled. "I mean I can't forget you bleeding on the floor, almost dead. If Digg had gotten there minutes later, you would have died."

Oliver swallowed hard. "Felicity, I am so sorry I put you through that."

She looked up at him. "It's not just that. I understand you are in danger every night, but I never realized what it would actually be like to lose you." She sniffled, not from her cold, but from fear.

Oliver put a hand on her shoulder, slowly moving his finger across it. "You aren't going to lose me."

A tear rolled down her cheek. She looked away from him and tried to keep her voice steady as she said, "I don't know what I would do."

"Hey," he whispered softly, "I'm right here." He paused, then continued. "I was scared that night too. I was afraid I was going to lose you, Felicity. And I too realized what... You mean to me."

She sucked in a breath and looked back into his eyes. "Oliver, I-"

"Felicity," he cut her off. "I know."

Oliver, in that moment, realized what she felt for him. He too realized how he felt. When Vertigo had taken her and he almost died, the last person he had thought of was her.

It had always been her. Not the string of girls he had hooked up with. Not Laurel. No one but her. All he saw was her.

He put his hand softly on her cheek. Her eyes glistened in the dim apartment. The sun was going to rise soon. And Oliver was glad for it to come.

He leaned in and softly pressed his lips against hers. She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around him.

Oliver pulled her closer and cupped her jaw. Her hair, out of its ponytail, was curled in his hand.

They continued like that until the sun's rays shown through the windows. Only then did he release her. He kept his hands around her waist.

She smiled as she opened her eyes. "Wow are you a good kisser. I mean I've kissed some guys, but you top them all. I think this is going to be really fun," she babbled.

Oliver chuckled and cut her off, "Felicity."

She stopped and looked up at him, pressing her lips together. "Sorry."

"Don't be," he smiled. "Do you want some breakfast? I'm going to make you breakfast."

"That would be nice," she beamed back at him.

They walked with his hand curled around her waist to the kitchen.

"Oliver Queen, making me breakfast," Felicity muttered with a smile.

Oliver couldn't help but let off a full tooth grin.


End file.
